Chain return support for endless chain conveyors



June 9, 1959 1.5, ANDERSON ET AL f 2,889,914

CHAIN RETURN SUPPORT RoR ENDLEss CHAIN coNvEYoRs Original Filed Aug. 3, 1953 w S NNN v \1 1 o .5N mmm Nw o m o www m L R mmm .N av. m. @Fm @Px mm/ RmN www mmm amm. UMMHIIMHW- mN M. UIMHMHHHHUUNI. um. Y Sw A* D @Ti v. mmm l Nv i i n? Y o Sl n m L SMN N ,Sk Ef m .y .Q l N @mw S. s\ w S m rv United States Patent `CHAIN RETURN SUPPGRT FORENDLESS CHAIN CONVEYORS Joseph Boyer Anderson, Salt Lake City, and Leo Vett Anderson, Midvale, Utah Original application August 3, 1953, Serial No. 371,786, now Patent No. 2,768,731, dated October 30, 1956. Divided and this `application September 5, 1956, Serial No. 608,032

6 Claims. (Cl. 198 .137)

Our invention relates to conveyor implements for handling baled hay, straw, and a variety of other materials, particularly in the loading of the same for transport and the unloading thereofl at a destination.

The present application constitutes'a division of our copending application for U.S. patent Serial Number 371,786, led August 3, 1953, for Transportable Conveyor Implement for Loading and Unloading Purposes, now Patent Number 2,768,731', and is concerned with the improved guide means thereA disclosed for supporting thel return run of the endless conveyor chainA utilized in that conveyor implement.

Since such guide means is useful apart from other novel features of the conveyor implement, it is beingV claimed separately herein.v

A principal object of this divisional invention is to effectively `support the lower'run of an endless conveyor chain equipped with load-engaging lug attachments. at intervals along its length, so that undesirable sag is prevented and the operation of such conveyor chain will be free and smooth despite such load-engaging attachments.

An outstanding feature is the provision of an openend'ed and elongate box structure through which the lower run of the endless conveyor chain extends, and an elongate table within such box structure upon which the lower run of the conveyor chain travels in. elevated condition, free and clearof the box structure. In this way, conventional load-engaging lugs that project from the load-engaging face of occasional links of a standard conveyor chain are nicely accommodated.

Additional features biased upon a particular type of conveyor chain, wherein the lugs project from opposite lateral sides of occasional links include the supporting of a. top for the table by means of a single leg extending along the central longitudinal axis of the table top and the box structure, the bending downwardly and converging outwardly of opposite ends of the table top, and the providing of outwlardly ilared wings as extensions of op.- posite ends of the lateral walls of the box structure, all for the purpose of minimizing any chance of a lug becoming caught during operation of the conveyor, especially if accidentally bent out of shape.

Further objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the particular preferred form thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 represents a top plan view of a conveyor imple ment with optional pick-up attachment, the motor and its mounting assembly having been removed for transport purposes, but the anchoring spring having been left to indicate how it is attached in use;

Fig. 2, an elevation of the motor mounting side of the implement, the pick-up attachment having been removed;

Fig. 3, la fragmentary elevation of the opposite side of the conveyor implement as it appears in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4, a detail view in top plan ofthe chain return guide shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the View being drawn to "ice 2 a considerably'enlarged scale and' the upper guide channel from which such return guide depends beingshown fragmentarily;

Fig. 5, an end view of the chain return guide of Fig. 4.;

Fig. 5A, a view corresponding to Fig. 5, but drawn to an enlarged scale and showing how a lug-providing chain link is accommodated and' guided;

Fig. 6, a fragmentary view in front elevation of an optional mounting bracket for the conveyor implement attached to the bumper of an automotive vehicle for pick-up loading. in the eld;

Fig. 7,v a rear elevation of the motor and its mounting assembly, shown detached from the conveyor implement proper sand drawn to approximately the same scale as Figs. l and 2;

Fig. 8, a side elevation of the motor and its mounting assembly as it appears looking from the right in Fig. 7; and

Fig. 9, a detail view in top plan of the motor-mounting base plate `with telescopic mounting member, as it ap.- pears in. position for mounting on the conveyor implement ofFigs. 1 and 2.

Referring, now to the drawing:

The conveyor implement proper includes a lightweight skid frame made. up of 1a pair of elongate, similarly congurated, sub-frame components indicated 1,. respectively, rigidly secured together in mutually spaced, sideby-side relationship within mutually parallel planes by a series of mutually spaced and transversely extending structural members, here shown as bars 40. Such. skid frame is preferably of welded tubular construction, as illustrated.

Each of the componentfsub-frames 1 has an upper skid rail la and a lower skid rail 1b, Figs. 2 and 3 which are spaced apart mutually within a common plane. to dene, along with the corresponding skid rails of the other. subframe component, respective upper and lower, longitudinally continuous, substantially unobstructed, skid? surfaces 41 and 42, respectively, for the implement. The. upper and. lower Askid rails of. each component sub-frame I are preferably formed of structural tubing reinforcedl by a longitudinal series of mutually spaced struts 43.

In the construction illustrated, such upper and lower skid rails of each component sub-frame andthe. skid suraces 41 and 42. defined thereby merge at the forward end of the implement to form an outwardly convergent,` load-penetratingV pilot 44 for the implement, the lateral side. of which are mutually parallel.. Such piloty end for. the skid frame enables the implement to be readily pushed between stacked bales loaded for transportation, whereby the implement is embedded in the load for secure and safe transportation.

An endless conveyor, for example, the illustrated. chain belt conveyor 4, is operably mounted within. the confines of the skid frame and entirely between the skid surfaces 41 and 42 thereof. Drive mechanism for such endless conveyor is located at the end of the skid frame which lies opposite the load-penetrating pilot end 44 thereof, and includes a shaft and pulley assembly extending transversely of the skid fname.

In theA particular construction illustrated, the. structural bars. 40 support a pair of longitudinally extending, transversely spaced, elongate bars 2, whose upper surfaces dene a conveyor deck lying. below the level. of the upper skid rails 1a. The upper run Vof the conveyor 4 is disposed in such conveyor deck, extending longitudinally thereof between the bars 2.. For accommodating and. guiding such upper run of the conveyona structural channel 3 is secured to the upper surfaces of the transversely extending structural bars 40, as by Welding.

The -d'rive mechanism comprises Ia countershafjt 45` journaled in bearings 6 and carrying a pulley 17 at one of its ends, which projects beyond the skid frame for the purpose. The pulley 17 is belted to the motor when the latter is mounted on the skid frame as described hereinafter, and countershaft 45. serves to drive conveyor chain belt 4 through the intermediacy :of shaft 46, sprocket 28, sprockets 12 and 9, and sprocket chain 11, see Fig. 3. Sprocket 12 is fast on the opposite end of countershaft 45, and is connected to sprocket 9 by sprocket chain 11. Sprocket 9 lis fast on shaft 46, as is also sprocket 28. Conveyor chain belt 4 passes directly around and interengages the teeth of sprocket 28.

The opposite end of conveyor chain belt 4 extends around and interengages the teeth of an idler sprocket 35, which is mounted in conventional fashion, see Fig. 1, for taking -up slack in the conveyor when necessary.

The conveyor chain belt 4 is provided with protruding lug attachments at intervals along its length, so as to be capable of engaging bales or other material to be conveyed along the conveyor deck.

In order to prevent the lower run 4a of the conveyor from sagging and lpossibly engaging structure or materials adjacent the bottom skid surface 42 of the implement, a chain return guide 29 is provided intermediate the length and the depth of the skid frame.

As here shown, see especially Figs. 4, 5, and 5A, such chain return guide 29 comprises an elongate box structure depending from seourement, as by welding, to chain guide channel 3. Such box structure is open ended, for passage of the lower conveyor run 4a therethrough. It is advantageously provided with outwardly flaring wings 29a at such open ends, for better guiding the received lower conveyor run.

Within the box structure is a table 23. The lower conveyor run 4a is supported by the ltop of such table so that it rides smoothly on such table, free and clear of the box structure.

In one conventional form of conveyor chain, the protruding lug attachments are ears 5a, Fig. 5A, bent from opposite lateral sides of occasional links to project from the load-engaging face of the cha-in. For accommodating such lug attachments 5 as the chain travels, the table 23, in the illustrated form of chain return guide 29, is advantageously made up of an elongate table top, having downwardly-turned, outwardly tapered or convergent ends 23a, and a `supporting leg 23h extending along approximately the central longitudinal axis of the table top and the box structure, all as is clearly illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5.

One of the principal purposes of the invention is to enable the motor to be easily and quickly removed from and replaced on the implement proper, so that the implement may be easily and safely transported and so that it may be readily converted from gasoline operation to electrical operation and vice versa. To this end, a motormounting member formed as one mating part of a pivotal, telescopic mount for an independent motor assembly, is secured ,to and extends transversely of the skid frame in spaced parallel relation to the shaft of the aforedescribed shaft and pulley assembly Iand between such shaft and the pilot end 44 of the skid frame. So as not to interfere with the functional purposes of the skid surfaces 41 and 42 of the skid frame, such motor-mounting member is disposed wholly within and between the same. In the construction illustrated, such motor-mounting member takes the form of a relatively short length of structural tubing 19, open at its ends for telescopically receiving a mating member projecting from the independent motor assembly about to be described, and preferably welded into position at an appropriate location wholly within and between the skid surfaces 41 and 42. Preferably, and as here shown, motor-mounting member 19 does not project laterally of the ski-d frame.

The independent motor assembly may be of any suitable .construction The motor may be electrically or gasoline driven. Its drive shaft, here indicated 25, is

provided with a drive pulley, here indicated 25a. In this illustrated construction, such motor is secured, as by bolting, to `a base plate 22 (see Fig. 9), from which projects a cylindrical member 18 formed to pivotally mate with the tubular mounting members 19 of the skid frame. In the illustrated instance, telescopic member 18 is adapted to t within and to be telescopically received by the tubular telescopic member 19.

Whatever the arrangement of these two telescopically mating parts, however, the engagement therebetween is freely pivotal about the axis of the two parts. In this way, not only may the independent motor assembly be easily and quickly mounted and dismounted with respect to the conveyor implement proper, but the belting conconnection (not shown) between motor drive pulley 25a and conveyor pulley 17 may be conveniently tensioned as required for proper operation.

In order to protect the motor assembly against rough handling, it is advantageous that it be encircled by a framework made up of rings 24 of structural tubing.

In the assembled and operating relationship of the conveyor implement proper and its independent motor assembly, means are provided for temporarily anchoring such motor assembly to the skid frame. It is advantageous that an elongate flexible retainer be utilized as -such anchoring means, to provide a yieldable connection between motor and skid frame so disposed as to maintain belt tightness during operation. The anchoring means here Shown comprises a spring 20, Fig. l, having opposite ends adapted to hook onto the `skid Ifratrie and the motor assembly, respectively, at locations serving to maintain belt tension. For convenience, a securement plate 21, provided with a series of hook-receiving openings 21a, is attached to the skid frame at a suitable location, such as that shown.

A bale pick-up attachment may be optionally provided, as indicated in Fig. 1. For this purpose, a sprocket 10 is xed to the outer end of shaft 46. As illustrated, the attachment comprises a bale-lifting rotor 13 carried by bearings 14 secured to respective projecting members 15 which telescope into respective tubes 16 secured to the conveyor-drive end of the skid frame. Rotor 13 carries a sprocket 7 that is connected in driven relationship with sprocket 10 by a sprocket chain 8. Following insertion of the members 15 in the receiving tubes 16, the attachment is pulled out suiciently to tension sprocket chain 8, and pins (not shown) are dropped into registering receiving holes provided in the members 15 and in tubes 16 for securing the attachment in operating position.

For utilizing such pick-up attachment to best advantage, an automotive bumper bracket is provided, see Fig, 6. This advantageously comprises an angular bracket having an extending arm 33, for receiving and supporting the pick-up end of the implement, and an attachment arm 33a. The attachment arm is adjustably secured in a T tting 31 by means of a set screw 32, the T fitting being secured to the projecting end of a mounting member 30 secured to the bumper 34 of an automotive vehicle.

The conveyor implement of Figs. 1, 2, and 3 is advatageously provided with oppositely disposed registering openings 27 for receiving arm 33. Securement is completed by a key or cotter pin 47.

The pick-up end of the conveyor implement is advantageously provided with a skid shoe 26 extending transversely thereacross.

We claim:

l. In a conveyor implement equipped with a skid frame having upper and lower sets of mutually spaced skid rails extending longitudinally of the implement to define upper and lower skid surfaces, an endless conveyor chain mounted for endless travel between said skid rails and said skid surfaces and provided with load-engaging lug attachments at intervals along its longitudinal margins and guide means supporting the lower, return run of said conveyor chain above said lower skid surface, the im- 'provement wherein said guide means comprises an elongate, open-ended box structure extending longitudinally of said skid frame and secured intermediate thereof with the lower run of said conveyor chain extending therethrough; and an elongate table within and extending longitudinally of said box structure, upon which the portion of said lower run of the conveyor chain between said longitudinal margins thereot` and said lug attachments rides free and clear of said box structure and in elevated relationship with the bottom thereof, said table comprising an elongate table top, and supporting means therefor which does not project outwardly beyond the periphery of said table top.

2. The improvement of claim 1, wherein the table top has opposite ends which are convergent.

3. The improvement of claim 2, wherein sets of outwardly and divergently projecting wings are provided at respectively opposite ends of the box structure as extensions of the lateral walls thereof.

4. In a conveyor implement equipped with a skid frame having upper and lower sets of mutually spaced skid rails extending longitudinally of the implement to define upper and lower skid surfaces7 an endless conveyor chain mounted for endless travel between said skid rails and said skid surfaces and provided with load-engaging lug attachments at intervals along its longitudinal margins and guide means supporting said endless conveyor chain, the improvement wherein the guide means comprises a structural channel extending along the length of said skid frame between said skid rails and said skid surfaces with its legs projecting upwardly, for accommodating the upper run of said conveyor chain; an elongate, open-ended box structure extending longitudinally of said skid frame and secured to said channel so as to depend from the underside thereof intermediate the length thereof and accommodate the lower run of said conveyor chain; and an elongate table within and extending longitudinally of said box structure, upon which the portion of said lower run of the conveyor chain between said longitudinal margins thereof and said lug attachments rides free and clear of said box structure and in elevated relationship with the bottom thereof, said table comprising an elongate table top, and a supporting leg extending along approximately the central longitudinal axis of the table top and the box structure.

5. The improvement of claim 4, wherein the table top has opposite ends which are convergent and downwardly turned, respectively.

6. The improvement of claim 5, wherein sets of outwardly and divergently projecting wings are provided at respectively opposite ends of the box structure as extensions of the lateral walls thereof.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,286,666 Briggs June 16, 1942 2,290,981 Maguire et al. July 28, 1942 2,443,947 Brooks et al. June 22, 1948 

